Darien wished he could just scoop up Serenity, toss her into his car and then find a quiet, private, and romantic place to claim her fully. In body, heart, and soul. While Darien was torturing himself with thoughts about claiming Serenity. Kain and Galen were having a silent conversation.
*“Her smile was so happy a moment ago, then it got sad, now it’s just a mask.”* Galen commented to Kain.
Galen had thought Alora enchantingly beautiful with a genuine smile on her face. Then he felt like offering to slay her demons when that smile became sad.
*“The rumors have her sleeping with Darien, but I seriously doubt it, they’ve never acted like lovers.” Kain told Galen.
Kain thought about all the Claim’s Sarah and some of her Clan members spewed about Alora. He doubted most if any were true. *“They act like we do with Serenity, like they’re brother and sister.”*
Galen thought about what Kain said for a second, before mentally nodding. *“You're right, they also said she was a weak wolf.”*
*“Something we now know personally is complete and utter bullshit.”* Kain growled, he was still pissed at himself for making such a stupid assumption.
*“Such bullshit, I wonder how much of the other rumors are more bullshit.”* Galen wasn’t any happier than Kain about underestimating a potential opponent to this degree.
Alora knew Kain and Galen were talking to each other about her. They were most likely wondering about all the rumors Sarah and her possy started about Darien and her.
Usually, whenever someone was brave enough to approach her to ask. They sounded like they were really making accusations, not asking questions. Alora would ignore them and just walk away without answering.
Alora decided that this time around, because they were the brothers of her best friend's mate, she would explain. Whether they chose to believe her or not, that was up to them.
Using just her eyes, she glanced sideways at Kain, catching his gaze. Kain and Galen were both a little taller than Darien at seven foot seven. They were a touch broader, their muscle tone bulkier. Their skin was sun kissed gold, sprinkled lightly with freckles.
Their hair was fire engine red with blond highlights. They wore it slightly shaggy, curling over their eyebrows, ears and neck. Their eye color was the same as Serenity’s, and their eyes were striking. Inner rings of emerald green surrounded by an outer ring of glowing amber.
Galen was wearing a loose tan pair of cargo shorts and a slightly loose, deep blue V-neck sleeveless shirt. On his feet a pair of black slingback trail sandals. Kain was wearing the same kind of shorts only his were black, and his shirt was a dark green knit tank top. His trail sandals a dark brown.
Kain read the demand in Alora’s nearly glowing violet silver ringed eyes. It clearly said, ‘Ask your questions now’.
*“Be respectful of how you talk to this Alpha, something in her aura just now…”* Horus’s words trailed off, but Kain understood what he was trying to say.
“There are several rumors about you and Darien, after observing you two ourselves however, my brother and I don’t believe they are true.” Kain said, his words spoken in a soft but deep baritone.
“That’s not really a question, that’s more of a statement.” Alora responded, lifting one gracefully arched black eyebrow, a rueful grin stretching one side of her full mouth.
Galen laughed, Alora turned her head in his direction, amusement starting to light her eyes. “What my brother is trying to delicately ask, is if all those rumors are the total bullshit, we think they are.” Galen said with a grin on his face, showing a bit of fang.
“My wolf Xena calls his wolf Axel, Brother. I call Darien my best friend.” Alora said simply, her tone said they could choose to believe her answer or not.
“Thank you for explaining Alpha.” Galen said, tilting his head to the side offering his neck.
“I would prefer not to be too obvious about my fight Rank.” Alora told him.
“It’s not just your fight Rank, our wolves tell us you are an Alpha.” Kain said, then tilted his head to the side when her eyes snapped in his direction.
A blush burned across Alora’s cheeks, she wasn’t used to being addressed so respectfully, but then again, this was the first time Alora and Xena had let their Alpha’s aura loose. Now that it was out, it refused to be fully tucked away again. Instead, the power of it would only retreat to just under her skin.
This meant any wolf that got within reach of Alora would feel it. It was not something Alora had wanted announced to everyone just yet. Not before she had completely broken free of her family, and their Clans.
Gripping the back of her neck, Alora tilted her face to the sky, her eyes closed, and her brows furrowed. Alora had thought about the problem for a moment.
*“Does it really matter if our cards are revealed now or later?”* Xena asked, before adding in a tired whisper that sounded suspiciously like whining. *“I’m so tired of hiding what we are.”*
Opening her eyes, Alora studied the fluffy gray and white clouds drifting above. Her expression was serious as she continued to think. Galen and Kain stood there silently, observing her actions and having a conversation of their own.
*“I don’t like it”* Galen said to Kain through their mind link.
*“Don’t like what?”* Kain asked him, although he already had a suspicion.
*“Her worry over being addressed as what she is.”* Galen responded, his voice holding a growl.
*“Ah, then we are on the same page, but you know, I’ve come to realize something.”* Kain said.
*“Is it the same realization I’ve had?”* Galen asked him.
*“That all those rumors about Alora always started with Sarah, and then were spread by the Frost and Northmountain’s that are closest to her.”* Kain said, his tone grim.
*“Yup, that’s the one”* Galen said ruefully.
Darien and Serenity were staring into each other’s eyes smiling. They were oblivious to what was going on next to them at the moment. Lost in their own world together. Darien looked at her bare neck, and the spot where she would wear his mark.
His gums ached with the need to bite and mark her now, but he wouldn’t be so disrespectful to her. First, he needed to gain her permission to mark her. Then Darien would have Serenity decide when that would happen and where they were going to be for it.
Some wolves liked to do a ceremony, where the mating bite of the mate would be the equivalent of exchanging rings in a human wedding. Because they were Werewolves, the mating mark was your marriage certificate.
It was the same with all supernaturals, even Witches and Warlocks had a way to mark their mate or mates. A supernatural being, fated to more than one mate was not uncommon. In fact, Dragon Masters are always fated to have two mates, forming mated triads.
Your mate was not always the opposite sex either, your Gods and Goddesses would not force you to mate with a being you were not physically attracted to. Werewolves were the only Supernaturals more commonly fated in pairs than triads.
Especially the Alpha’s, Alpha’s being of a triad was exceedingly rare. There had been one, but neither of the Alpha Werewolf’s two mates were werewolves themselves. One was a Vampire, and the other a Witch.
One reason Darien wanted Serenity to decide when she would accept his mark. Is that once a Supernatural being marked their mate, their heat would come any time within four to seven weeks after. Heats were to do two things, one, was to solidify the bonds between mated pairs and mated triads.
The other reason for heats was that female partners would be at their most fertile then. Without proper preparation, the females were almost guaranteed to get pregnant. The mating fever though, that was a whole other matter.
The mating fever is an increasing, and sometimes unbearable need to claim your fated mate. It starts within moments of meeting your fated mate. You can deny it for two days at most, but there are consequences, when the need has made all parties involved mindless. Like the tearing off of each other's clothes and putting on a public show kind of consequences.
While Darien and Serenity were lost to each other, Alora came to a decision. One she voiced out. “Fuck it, hiding is too exhausting but seeing as we’re all about to become rather close thanks to those two,” Alora said wryly with a thumb pointed Darien and Serenity’s direction, “you should call me Alora.”
Kain and Galen both grinned, this side of Alora was amusing to them. Usually, Alora was doing her best to melt into the background, when she wasn’t interacting with Darien and her teachers.
Alora turned her head back around to face Darien and Serenity, a sad smile on her face again. It tugged at Kain’s heartstrings, prompting him to ask his question before he could stop himself.
“Why do you look so sad?” He asked, his deep baritone soft.